Hurricane Florence and another flood could mean end to Seven Springs

By Luke Notestine, WRAL reporter

In Seven Springs, residents already reeling from Hurricane Matthew got a double whammy when Florence again flooded their community.

“Matthew was catastrophic. Floyd was disaster. Now this is devastating,” said Chuck Stancil.

He’s been a firefighter for the past 23 years, and he’s seen a lot of storms.

“This is going to be devastating for Seven Springs, depending on how many people come back and whether this town will stay,” Stancil said.

Before Hurricane Florence, Stancil was aware of only 22 people still living in Seven Springs. This week, he’s talked to three who say they won’t come back.

Carla Price is the wife of a firefighter and the mother of two volunteer firefighters living just outside of Seven Springs. Her anxiety level has been very high since Florence hit the area, specially since her family members are in the business of saving people during these difficult circumstances.

“It’s a very anxious situation,” she said. “You stay on pins and needles a lot.

“You have to really love your fellow man to put your life at risk to be a volunteer firefighter. But when you have a husband or children who are firemen, it’s not just those on the fire department, it’s the whole family.”

Stancil said this week has been an emotional bulldozer.

“To see the town you grew up in go away, it takes a lot,” he said.